Therapeutic equipment

ABSTRACT

Therapeutic apparatus which consists of spaced apart swivable bars secured to the wall of a bath under the surface of the water, the bars each having a bolster to provide suspense support for an individual and jets of water are directed against selected parts of the spine.

United States Patent Simon Jan. 14, 1975 [54] THERAPEUTIC EQUIPMENT 3,675,646 7/1972 Corcoran 128/75 [76] In ento Pe er Si 10 5 Ta ot S 3,724,012 4/1973 Sanderson 272/71 North, London, Ontario, Canada Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp [22] Filed June 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cecil C. Kent; K. M. Hill [21] Appl. No.: 368,758

52 U.S. Cl. 128/66, 128/75 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl A6lh 9/00 Them peutic apparatus which consists of spaced apart [58] Fleld of Search i 1 12 5 swivable bars secured to the wall of a bath under the surface of the water, the bars each having a bolster to provide suspense support for an individual and jets of [56] References Cited water are directed against selected parts of the spine.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,675,552 7/1928 Hawxhurst 128/75 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures THERAPEUTIC EQUIPMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to therapeutic equipment and has particular relation to equipment which is usable under water to provide traction treatment for the spine of the user.

2. Prior Art It is well established practice to apply jets of water at a pre-selected temperature to portions of the body in order to alleviate muscular ailments of widely differing nature. The jets of water may be directed through the atmosphere at the body but recently there has been greater emphasis on treatment which involves directing jets of water in a bath against the immersed portions of the body. A wellknown development is a' bath in which the jets create a whirlpool effect.

It is known to apply traction to the spine with the object of alleviating painful conditions in that region of the body.

However, to the best of applicants knowledge the concept of applying traction to the spine of a patient whose body is immersed in water is new. More particularly it is not known to provide apparatus which will permit the patient to vary at will the amount of traction applied to the spine while the body is immersed in water and especially when subjected to the action of jets of water.

It is an object of the invention to provide traction apdirected against the spine of the user as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Positioned above the nozzle 16 is a box generally denoted by the numeral 20, the back 22 of which is secured to the wall 14. The box is preferably made of stainless steel. The upper and lower sides 24 and 26 of the box 20 are traversed by a threaded rod 28. The upper end 30 of the rod 28 has a nut 32.

The vertical sides 34 and 36 of the box 20 have guides 38 and 30 respectively which carry a slide 42. The rod 28 traverses the slide 42 in threaded relation.

The middle portion of a cross arm 44 is secured by threaded bolts 46 to the slide 42. The end portions 48 paratus which is usable by an individual whose spine is immersed in water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention consists in a pair of spaced apart swivable bars secured to' the wall of a bath under the surface of the water which bars have each bolster means to provide support for an individual suspended thereon in the water by the arms. The individual has material of a greater density than water attached to the body to provide traction and preferably jets of water are applied to selected parts of the spine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus of the invention in use in a bath.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT below the surface of the bath 10, is at least one ball 6 type nozzle 16, the angle of which is adjustable to change the direction of the stream 18 therefrom when of the arm 44 extend sideways beyond the slide 42. Each end portion 48 has the same plurality of vertical disposed spaced apart identical slots 50', in FIG. 2 three such slots 50 are shown but the number is not critical.

Each slot 50 is sized to receive one of a pair of removable plates 52 the height of which is only slightly less thanthe height of a slot 50. Each plate 52 has an upstanding abutment 54 which bears against the rear of the portion 48 of the arm 44 when the plate 52 is inserted in tilted manner and then moved to the vertical position into a selected slot 50 thus preventing withdrawal of the plate 52.

An open-ended vertically disposed tube 56 is welded to each plate 52, the lower end of each tube 56 being below the lower end of the attached plate 52. When the plate 52 is inserted in a selected slot 50 the projecting lower end of the tube 56 bears against the adjacent portion 48 of the arm 44.

Each tube 56 is adapted to receive in swivable relation one arm 58 of a right angle member 60, the other arm 62 extending outwards horizontally in the bath 10. A bolter 64 surrounds each arm 62.

Above the surface of the bath tank 10 is another ball type nozzle 66 located in the wall 14.

The use of the apparatus will be appreciated from the positions of the user depicted in FIG. 1.

A slot 50 on each side of the middle portion of the cross arm 44 is selected to receive one of the plates 52, the selection being such that the arms 62 are spaced apart a distance to suit the user, the bolsters 64 contacting the upper arms of the user when suspended in the bath 10. The nozzles 16 and 66 are adjusted to provide jets of water against the spine of the user.

It has been found that the traction effect in the spine when the user suspends himself on the bolsters 64 as indicated is improved if weighted shoes 68 are worn, the soles 70 of which are formed of lead. Other weighting arrangements to counteract buoyancy can be employed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for applying traction to the spine of a user while immersed in water comprising in combination:

a. a bath tank capable of holding sufficient water to completely immerse a human body standing upright therein and having side and bottom walls thereon;

b. a pair of spaced apart support members extending outwardly from an upper side of one of said side walls of said bath tank;

c. individual bolster means on each support member to suspend said user by his arms in a substantially upright posture in said bath tank of water;

spine of said user.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, having means to direct a jet of water from a wall of said bath tank upwardly through a tank of water and against the body of the said user. 

1. Apparatus for applying traction to the spine of a user while immersed in water comprising in combination: a. a bath tank capable of holding sufficient water to completely immerse a human body standing upright therein and having side and bottom walls thereon; b. a pair of spaced apart support members extending outwardly from an upper side of one of said side walls of said bath tank; c. individual bolster means on each support member to suspend said user by his arms in a substantially upright posture in said bath tank of water; d. weight means attachable to the lower extremities of said user to decrease the effect of buoyancy of the water in said bath.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support members are swivable on said wall.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein nozzle means are provided to direct jets of water against the spine of said user.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, having means to direct a jet of water from a wall of said bath tank upwardly through a tank of water and against the body of the said user. 